Indicating and recording instrument



vR. P. BROWN AND C. P. FHEY. INDICATING A`Nn RECORDING INSTRUMENT.APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1919.

1,355,448. Pawnwd oet, 12,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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R. P. BRO'WN AND C. P. FREY. mmcATlNG AND RECORDING msTRuME'NLAPPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, I9I9.

Patenfd Oct. 12, 1920o n. P. BnowN AND c. P. FREY.

' Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD P. BROWN AND CHARLES P. FREY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS TO'THE BROWN INSTRUMENT COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENN-SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

. INDICATING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

Application led December 1919. Serial No.' 348,585.

pointer or index, to indicate or record a temperature or pressurecondition at a distant point at the moment of actuation; to providemeans controlled by temperature for periodically actuating a movableelement to' cause an indication or record to be made of a condition at adistant point; to provide means for operating the depressor bar of anindi- `eating or recording instrument; to provide means controlled by athermostat for operating the depressor bar of an indicating or recordinginstrument at predetermined intervals; to provide means forvautomatically compensating a thermostat control to neutralize theeffect of atmospheric temperatures upon said thermostat; to providemeans for automatically locking the depressor bar of an indicating orrecording instrument under inoperative conditions; to provide means forraising a depressor bar while an adjustment of an index or pointer ismade; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a iront elevation lofan indicating instrument" embodying one form of the present invention,the case of the instrument being removed; Fig. 2 represents a section online 2:2 of Fig. 3; Fig.l 3 represents a section offline 3 3 of Fig. 1;Fig. 4 represents a detail in plan of the depressor bar; Fig. 5 is adiagram of the main operating circuit; Fig. 6 is a diagram of the timeand safety control circuits; Fig. 7 is a diagram of the, operatingcircuit under heating conditions; and Fig. 8 is a diagram of theoperating circuit under cooling conditions.

Referring to the drawings, one form of the present invention is shownarranged for use with .an instrument for indicatingt'emperatureconditions and wherein positions of the instrument index yareperiodically transmitted to a distant point to be either recordedautomatically or indicated by means arranged in a predetermined mannerto enable an observer to tell at any operative period the temperaturecondition of the body under observation.

Since the indicating instrumentI and its adj uncts form no part of thepresent invention, only such elements thereof will be described as arehere necessary to a full and complete understanding of the invention,and it will further be understood' that the instrument shown is usedonly by way of example and that the present invention is applicable tomany other forms of indicating and recording instruments.

The present indicating instrument is mounted upon a: base 10 andconsists primarily of a movable index or pointer 11 arranged to swingacross the face of a scale 12 and assume indicating positions withrespect thereto under the influence 'of a suitable operating. mechanismsuch as a gas operated instrument or instrument controlled by variationsin a current ofelectricity subject to thermo-couple connected to a pairof binding posts 13. The main service current for the instrument isreceived by a pair of binding posts 14 from which the necessaryconnections are made to the operating mechanism. In conjunction withthis instrument a. plurality of binding posts 15, 16 and 17 are utilizedeach being in a circuit including respectively circuit making flexiblymounted contacts 20, 21 and 22, these latter being located in relativelyclose proximity to the pointer 11 and in a position to be separatelyclosed according as the pointer actuating mechanism carries the pointer11 to strike one or another of them. Thus, if the pointer 1l isindicating the predetermined temperature it will, in the presentinstrument, lie in a position to close the contact 21 when operated bythevperiodic action; if the pointer-11 is indicating a temperature lowerthan the predetermined one it will lie thelever arms i This rod 31 maydevice at a distant point and thus periodically keep an observer, atthat point,- advised as to temperature conditions where thethermo-couple is located.

In the present invention the pointer 11 1s arranged to. be depressed atregular inter' rigid construction is proroper even tilting of the n thepreferred construction the depressor bar 23 is so fulcrumed as,

to overbalance the short arm ofthe levers 24, andv any parts attached toor carried thereby, and in consequence the contact impact is caused bythe action of gravity.

For raising the'depressor bar 23, one of 24 is provided with abifurcated extension 30, of bakelite or other in'- sulating material,arranged to receive the shouldered end of a rod 31 and be fastenedthereto by a* pin 32 or other securing meansv to permit the propermovement of the parts. be guided in a portion 0f the base 10 and isprovided with a slotl 33 for receiving the end of a trigger 34 which ispivoted at 35 to a 'suitable frame 36. fast to the base 10, the saidslot 33 being preferably longer than the thickness of the trigger 34 foradjustment purposes through the action of a set screw 37 threaded intothe end of the rod 31 and abuttin the trigger 34. From the foregoing itwil be evident that any movement of the trigger 34 about its pivot willcause the rod 31 to be moved in a direction toraise' the depressor bar23. A suit-f able counter-weight 3 8 is secured to the rod 31 .to adjustthe relative-weights of the fulcrumed parts.

' For shifting the trigger 34 a rock-lever 40 is pivoted at 41. to aconvenient fixed part in a 'position to project at one end transverselyabove the trigger 34 while its opposite end extends into the -path ofmovement of a cam 42 fixed to a rock-shaft 43, the arrangement beingsuch that when the cam 42 is turned to engage the lever 40 the latterAtwo solenoids 47 will be rocked thereby causing raised. s In ordertowoiscillateL the rock-shaft 43, a yoke 44 is 'fixed'fto the said shaft43 and eX- tends to either side thereof, its respec lvely 45 and 46which and lower the vtrigger 34,

.pass respectively within and-48. These solenoids Yand release thetrigger 34 are joined together by ae selection,

35 a counter-clockwise direction the depressor bar 23 to be ends beingconnected lto two solenold cores 47 and 48 are suitably mounted upon theframe 36 and are alternately energized so that first one core and thenvthe other is drawn into its coil, thus transmitting a rocking movementto the shaft 43. The effect of this movement is to alternately engage sothat thedepressor bar 23 rises and falls.

For the purpose of energizing thesolenoids 47 and 48 alternately so thatthe shaft 43 is rocked at intervals, a circuit 50 is provided, suppliedwith current from the service line or other source, including aconductor 51, and .two solenoids 47 and48, the former of which is in abranch and periodicallyconductor 52 leading to a contact 53, and the and55 by way of a movable contact arm 56 supported at one end, a ballastresistance 57 of any suitable type, and a conductor 58 forming thereturn to the service line. The therefore, as to which soleioid 47 or 48is energized depends upon the contact position of the arm 56. A

For periodically causing the arm 56 to closefirst one andthen the otherbranch of the circuit 50 by contact with the contacts 53 and 55alternately, the 'arm 56 is formed of'suitable thermostatic metalarranged to be Aheated by a winding 60 included in a circuit 61 vwhichis intermittently opened and -closed by a commutator 62, fixed to therock-shaft 43 and carrying a conducting strip 63 as one terminal of thesaid circuit 61. A brush 64forms the other terminal of the circuit61`and is arranged'to contact with the strip 63 in one operativeposition ofthe commutator 62 and to be out of contact in the otheroperative position of the commutator 62. It will thus be evidentthat-the' passage of a current through-the winding 60 will cause thethermostatic arm 56 to expand, the free end thereof moving upward in thepresent illustrated showing, so closing the circuit-50 by way of contact55 and causing` the solenoid 48 to be energized.

n eorder to Vcompensate. for atmospheric temperature chan esksurrounding the timing thermostat 56 1t is preferable toprovide twostrips 65 and 66 -of thermostatic metal secured at one end respective]to a block .67 of insulating material fixe to the base 1 0, theconstruction being such that the said strips 65 and 66 the tive contacts53 and 55, which are mounted in adjusting screws and 71, in alinementwith a double contact 72 fixed adjacent the end of the thermostat arm56. The thermostatic strips 65 and 66'a`re respectively providedon'their outer faces with relatively thin, fiat equalizing elongatedplates 73 and .74 for the. expansion and contracting .parallel oppositesides of thermostat arm 56 and locate the respec- C, movement, and thearrangement is such that the three parallel thermostats 56, 65 and 66all move in the same direction under atmospheric temperatures andmaintain their'respective distances apart. As a result of thisconstruction relative changes are caused only by the heating effect ofthe current in winding 60 and the. distance between thc timing contact'72 and the contacts 53 and 55 will depend only upon this heatingeffect.

As a means for raising the depressor 23 automatically, should theservice current fail or be intentionally cut off, and locking it inraised position until the current is again turned on, a safety device isprovided consisting, -in the present instance, of a thermostat includinga strip 75 and a winding 76 thereon, the strip 75 being suitably fixedat one end, to a block 77 and having its free end provided with acontact screw 78 positioned above the rock-lever 40. The screw 78 isadjusted to bear against the outer end of the lever 40 and hold it downwhen there is no current in the winding 76, thus causing the trigger 34to raise and hold the depressor bar 23, but when the thermostat strip 75is heated by a current the screw 78 is lifted a sufiicient distance toallow the leverA 40 to release the parts holding the depressor.' Thewindingl 76 is connected across the service lines at a suitablelocation, being preferably in parallel with the circuit 61 so that whenthe instrument is in operation current will pass through the winding 76of the safety thermostat 75.

For the purpose of maintaining the .depressor bar 23 raised whileadjustment or setting of the instrument pointer 11 is made, a finger 80is pivotally held at one end by an adjusting rod 81 and has its otherend located above and adjacent to the extension 30 of the arm-24.

The rod 81 forms one element of a clutch 82, connected to the pointeradjusting gear 83, and a spring 84 is arranged to normally hold theclutch parts separated by being disposed between a fixed abutment 85 anda collar 86 fixed to the rod 81. A slotted head 87 is also fixed to therod 81 and seats in a bore 88 of the base 10 atan accessible locationand may be engaged by a screw driver or other suitable tool. Undernormal conditions'a turning movement of the rod 81 has no effect uponthe adjusting elements but by pressing the rod 81 inward to engage theclutch members 82 the required adjustment of thevpointer 11 may be made,

.while simultaneously the finger 8O forces the extension 30 downward andthus raises the depressor bar 23 out of the way while the adjustment ismade. y

In describing the operation of the present instrument control it willbeassumed, first, that no current is supplied and -the instru: ment isout of service. Under this condithis position is tilted to lock thetrigger 34 down and thereby maintain the depressor bar 23 raised.Assuming, second, that the` current is turned on, the immediate resultis a flow of current through the winding 76 of the safety thermostat 75and the latter thereupon swings in a direction to re- Amove the contact78 from the path of the rock-lever 40 whereby the depressor bar 23 isreleased. Since the commutator 62 is normally in position to close thecircuit 61, the winding 60 receives current and the timing thermostat 56gradually heats and moves toward the contact 53 so that after apredetermined interval the contact 72 meets the contact 53. When thistakes place the circuit 50 is closed through the solenoid 47 and thecore 45 drawn in, thereby bringing the cam 42 into engagement with therock-lever 40 to cause the latter to actuate the trigger 34 and raisethe depressor bar 23. The rocking of/the shaft 43 turns the commutator62 so that the circuit 61 is broken and consequehtly the current is cutoff from the winding 60 and the thermostat 56 begins to cool, therebybreaking the circuit 50 and swinging ultimately to bring the contact 72against the contact 55. W'hen this occurs the circuit 50 is again closedbut this time through the solenoid 48, thereby drawing the core 46 inand rocking the shaft 43 back to its former position where thecommutator again closes the circuit 61 through the winding 60 of thetiming thermostat.

In this manner solenoids 47 and 48 are alternately energized, each for arelatively short period of time, and the shaft 43 is periodicallyoperated to release the depressor bar 23 for astriking movement and toraise the said bar 23 following this movement. The timing thermostat 56controls the alternate energizing of the solenoids 47' and 48 and .doesits work reliably and accurately giving equal heating periods and equalcooling periods, both of which may be adjusted to any predeterminedinterval by varying the distance `between the respective contacts 53 and55 and the thermostat bar 56. These periods are preferably proportionedso that the depressor bar 23 remains down 4about seven to ten secondsand up fifteen to eighteen seconds, though the rate of rise and fall maybe varied as de- In case there is a break in the service current thesafety thermostat immediately comes into operation cooling and bringingthe contact 7 8 into locking relation with the rock-lever 40 and therebyholding the de? preventing it pressor bar 23 up and from swinging looseor restlng upon the pointer 11.

Although we have disclosed only one form in which this invention isembodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited toany particular construction but might `be embodied in various formsWithout departingfrom the spirit of the'invention or Vthe scope of theappended'claims.

Having thus described our invention we claim and desire to protect byLetters Iatent of the United States:

1. In an instrument of the character stated, the combination of an indexmember, a depressor bar arranged to strike said index member, and meansincluding a thermostat for causing said-bar tol be moved in onedirection.

2. In an instrument of the character stated, the combination of an indexmember, a depressor bar arranged to lower by gravity to depress saidindex member, and means including a thermostat'for raising said barafter a depressing` movement.

3. In an instrument of the characterl stated, the combination of anindex member, a depressor bar arranged to lower by gravity to depresssaid index member, and means including a thermostat for raising said bara predetermined interval after a depressing movement.

4. In an` instrument of the character stated, the combination of anindex member,"

a depressor bar arranged to lower by gravity to depress said indexmember, means including a thermostat for raising said' bar apredetermined interval after a depressin movement, and means to varysaid interva 5. In an instrument of the character stated, thecombination of an index mem ber, a depressor bar arranged -to lower bygravity to depress said index member, and

means includlng a thermostat for locking said bar in raised positionwhen the current is cut of from said instrument.

6. In an instrument of the character stated, the combination of an indexmember, a depressor bar arranged to lower'by gravity to depress -saidindex member, means controlled byA an electric, current ,for raisingsaid depressor bar, and means operated by the cessation ofsaid currentfor.' locking said .bar in raised position.v

In an instrumentv of the character b ar, and means including athermostat for l holding said bar out of contact with said index memberwhen current is cut o from said instrument.v

8. In an instrument a depressor bar arranged to shift said index member,means for operating said depressor bar, and means automaticallyoperative' to hold said bar out of contact with said index member whensaid .operating means ceases to function.

9. In anA instrument of the character` stated, the combination of' anindex member, a depressor bar arranged toshift said index member, asolenoid -controlledmeans vfor operating said depresso'r bar, meansincludingl a thermostat for causing said solenoid means to becomeenergized, a source of current, and means i'orA periodically causingsaid thermostat to -be heated by said current to energize said solenoidmeans.

10. In an instrument of the characterA stated, the combination of anindex member, a depressor bar arranged to shift said .index member, asolenoid controlled means atmospheric temperature conditions.

11. In an instrument', of the character stated, the combination of anindex member, va depressor bar arranged toshit said index-member, vasolenoid controlled'means A for operating said depressor bar, anelectric circuit including a timing thermostat and aj pair ofcompensating.thermostats for energizing saidsolenoid means, contactscarried respectively by said compensating thermostats and arranged to beseparately;` engaged by said timing thermostat, and meente-siercausingsaid timing thermostat periodicall' to be heate whereby said contactsare alternately engagedvby said timing thermostat and said depressor baris reciprocated.

' 12. InY an instrument of the characterv stated, the combination of anindex member, a depressor bar arranged to shift'said index member, meansfor operating said depressor bar, and means automatically operative tolock said bar when -said ceases to function.-

' In witness whereof we have hereunto set' lour hands this stated, thecombination of an index member, a depressor bar arranged torshift saidindex 27 da of November, 1919.

RICA 'CHARLES P. FREY.

of the character I stated, the combination of an index member,

RD P.' BROWN.

operating means 120'

